We had a fantastic time yesterday presenting at the 2023 Comparative International Education Society (CIES) conference at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, DC! In celebration of Carnival Saturday (February 18), EducArte demonstrated samba percussion and Brazilian carnival dance and led an interactive workshop. It was great to see a room full of educators from all over the world dancing and smiling!
We started with a short performance of classic samba songs led by Pablo Regis, followed by carnival dance workshops with Michelle Clark (samba and axé) and Kate Spanos (frevo). Our percussion director André Coelho led our bateria in a demonstration of each of the batucada instruments and how they fit together rhythmically. We could not have been more pleased with how much energy each our of members brought to the presentation, and how much energy the audience gave right back us!
The exchange demonstrated the Afro-Brazilian tradition of audience participation in cultural practice. Our presentation showed how our work focuses on community building and cross-cultural communication to foster a vibrant and diverse cultural arts community.
Thanks to CIES assistant director Vanessa Sperduti for the invitation and warm welcome!
